Do local variables in Java have default values?

No, local variables do not have default values. Once we create a local variable we must initialize it before using it.

Since the local variables in Java are stored in stack in JVM there is a chance of getting the previous value as default value. Therefore, In Java default values for local variables are not allowed.

Example

public class Sample {
   public static void main(String args[] ){
      int data;
      System.out.println(data);
   }
}

Error

C:\Sample>javac Sample.java
Sample.java:4: error: variable data might not have been initialized
   System.out.println(data);
                      ^
1 error